Sight-indicator for telephones.



PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

I. R.. LAY. SIGHT INDICATOR FOR TBLEPHONES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22 ,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

P. R. LAY. SIGHT INDICATOR FOR TELEPHONES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22,1905.

z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@W is UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK R. LAY, OF GREENFIELD, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WALTER W.MoOOLE, OF GREENFIELD, INDlANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

-Z-anented May 8, 1906.

Application filed April 22, 1905. Serial No. 256,882.

To all ZOhOTVb it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK R. LAY, of Greenfield, county of Hancock, andState of Indiana, have invented a certain new anduseful Sight-Indicatorfor Telephones and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, inwhich like numerals refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to indicate by sight whether or not atelephone has been rung and when there is a plurality of telephones inan oflice to indicate which one was rung. It is therefore in the natureof an attachment to a telephone without changing the telephone and canbe used in connection with any telephone.

The effect of the invention is to show whether or not a telephone hasbeen rung in ones absence and which of two telephones was rung, andthereby avoiding the confusion resulting from inability to distinguishfrom the bells of the telephones which telephone rang. It saves time andannoyance oth to the central station and to the local user of calling upthe wrong telephone in answer to a ring.

The general nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawin s and the following description and claims.

n the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the device in connectionwith two telephones, one of the telephone-cases being broken away. Fig.2 is a central vertical transverse section through the sight-indicator.Fig. 3 is a front elevation of thesame. Fig. 4 is an inside elevation ofthe front plate of the device separated and turned around and a frontelevation of the upper part of the casing with the front plate removedtherefrom and the wiring between the two parts, the casing bein partlybroken away.

in detail the drawings show a wall-telephone 10 and a portabledesk-telephone'12 and a sight-indicator 14. The sight-indicator consistsof a casing 15, shown here substantially semicircular in elevation withthe fiat side on the bottom, so that it can readily rest upon a desk ortable. The front side of the casing is closed by a removable plate 16,secured by screws 17. On the inside of the front plate are two magnets18, with a core 19 extending into both magnets and longitudinallymovable alternately bysaid magnets, as

they may be alternately energized. Said core has pivotally connected toit a pendulum-like rod 20, pivoted at its upper end to the post 21,which is secured to the front plate 16. The lower end of the rod has itsend turned horizontally at 22 and extends loosely into a slot 23 in anoscillating plate 24, pivoted centrally on the post 25. The plate 24 isslotted at both ends, and in the slot in the upper end a crank-shaft end26 of the crank of the shaft 27 is mounted, which extends through thefront plate 16 and carries an indicating-finger 28.

Upon the casing 10 there are binding-posts 30, 31-, 32, and 33. The wire34 runs from one magnet 18 to the post 31. Another wire 35 runs from thepost 30 to the base of the post 21 on the plate 18 and the currentpasses from the wire 25 through the plate 16, through a lead-wire 36 tothe magnet. The wire 35 may, if desired, run directly to the magnet. Thewire '37 runs from the post 32 to the other magnet 18 and the wire 38from said magnet to the post 33.

The wall-telephone 10, which may be called the new telephone, has itsbell-circuit connected with the binding-posts 30 and 31 through thewires and 51. The desk-telephone 12, which may be called the oldtelephone, is connected with the binding-posts 32 and 33 by the wires 52and 53. Therefore each telephone has a separate electrical connectionwith its particular magnet 18, and when a telephone is rung itsparticular magnet is energized and the core 19 moved toward said magnetand thus the finger 28 changed from the full-line position (shown inFig. 3) to the dotted-line position or the reverse. also indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 4. Therefore when the old telephone is rung thecore 19 will be moved into the position shown in Fig. 4 and the finger28 point to the word Old on the face-plate 16. If, however, the newtelephoneis to be rung, the core 19 would be thrownfroin its position inFig.

4 to the left and the associated parts into the dotted-line positionsand the finger 28 into the dotted-line position (shown in Fig. 3) andpointing to the word New. If the new telephone be rung a' second time,the finger will not be changed in its position.

In order to operate satisfactorily, the winding in the magnets of thebell or sound- The changed position of the parts is indicator and themagnets of the sight-indicator must have substantially the same numberof ohms in order to prevent one of the indicator-circuits being cut outby the current shortcircuiting, or rather pursuing the course of leastresistance. The number of ohms need not be identical, but must besubstantially the same in the windings of the two indicators.

I do not Wish to be limited to the details of the construction shown norto any particular form of magnet or other electrical apparatus capableof performing the work of the magnet shown in such situation and is aknown substitute therefor. A helix-magnet has been used; but there areother wellknown electrical equivalents which may be used in place of ahelix-magnet.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination with a plurality of telephones having bellcircuits,of a sightindicator, electrical means for controlling saidsight-indicator, and electrical connection with the bell-circuits forindicating the telephone over which a call has been made.

2. The combination with a plurality of telephones, of a sight-indicatorwith a pair of oppositely-located magnets, separate electricalconnection between the bell-circuit of each telephone and one of saidmagnets, a core for the two magnets, an indicator-finger, and meansactuated by the movement-of said core for moving said finger.

3. The combination with two telephones, of a sight-indicator with a pairof oppositelylocated magnets, an electrical connection between thebell-circuit of each telephone and one of said magnets, a core for saidmagnets, an oscillatory plate mounted near said core, an arm connectedwith said core adapted to oscillate said plate when the core is moved byamagnet, a crank-shaft operated bysaid plate, and an indicator-fingersecured on said crankshaft.

4. The combination with two telephones, of a sight-indicator having aface-plate with a symbol representing each telephone, a finger adaptedto point to one or the other of said symbols, and electrical means insaid indicator for actuating said finger, said electrical means beingconnected with said telephones.

In witness whereof I have hereunto afl'iXed my signature in the presenceof the witnesses herein named.

FRANK R. LAY. Witnesses:

0. Hour, N. ALLEMONG.

